Rights Group Decries Darfur Rebel Death Sentences

A key international human rights organization has condemned recent trials in which 30 alleged Darfur rebels were sentenced to death in Sudan, saying they flouted international fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Africa director Georgette Gagnon said the courts had denied the suspected rebels their right to a fair trial, limited their access to lawyers and denied the lawyers access to their clients, forcing some to quit. The 30 men were sentenced to death for allegedly participating in the unprecedented May 10 rebel attack on the capital, Khartoum. [PE]